Saturday morning; most of the Island still sleeps. The rising sun breaks through the tree line on the eastern edge of a field that wears a heavy coat of dew. Today the bright August sun practically commands a beach day. In the vast farm field across the way the hay crop is finally in, good only for mulch this year after a summer that has been thick with rain. Tiny swallows swoop in and out of the freshly cut stubble, foraging for insects. A gossamer veil of mist floats above the ground like some elegant genie just released from her bottle.

Saturday morning; most of the Island still sleeps. The rising sun breaks through the tree line on the eastern edge of a field that wears a heavy coat of dew. Today the bright August sun practically commands a beach day. In the vast farm field across the way the hay crop is finally in, good only for mulch this year after a summer that has been thick with rain. Tiny swallows swoop in and out of the freshly cut stubble, foraging for insects. A gossamer veil of mist floats above the ground like some elegant genie just released from her bottle.

It is no discourtesy to the current owners to say that Blue Heron Farm is the product of Tony Fisher’s imagination.

It is also true that Mr. Fisher drew major inspiration from at least two sources: the home of West Tisbury builder Rick Anderson and a Kevin Costner movie.

Presidents are never really on vacation, as George W. Bush discovered to his great cost, about four years ago.

As his critics are fond of pointing out, Bush the younger was on vacation down on the ranch when Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans. And he stayed on vacation for three days afterwards. Now, when people enumerate the many failings of his Presidency, the first three nominated are usually the economic crisis, the Iraq war and the failure to respond to Katrina.